DETROIT (WXYZ) — A suspect who was arrested in connection with three bodies that were found in the basement of a Southwest Detroit home last month is now facing charges.
According to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worth, 27-year-old Lance Alan Clowney is charged with three counts of first-degree murder. It's alleged that he killed Mark Barnett, 65, and Norman Hamlin, 66, both of Detroit, and Williams Barrett, 72, of River Rouge.
According to the prosecutor's office, Clowney was staying at Hamlin's home when he struck the victims multiple times with a hammer and a knife before he fled the scene.
They say he had a connection with the victims. He has a criminal history and was on parole. His past crimes include carjacking, armed robbery, felony firearm and fleeing from police.
Bettison says the murders were an isolated incident.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
Police said all three victims were killed by blunt force trauma. Police also said some of the victims had cuts on their bodies.
"It was a brutal scene inside — just awful," Detroit Police First Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald said, adding that he did not want to go into much detail at the time about the crime scene. "The minute you open the door, you could see blood, you could see just a horrific scene."
Hear more from Assistant Chief Fitzgerald in the video below:
In February, police were called to the home on Edsel Street, just off of Fort Street near Outer Drive in Southwest Detroit.
Officers were in the area talking to people about a missing person when a man ran up to them and said he had been assaulted inside the home on Edsel the day before. Fitzgerald said the man told police he had been hit with a hammer on the head twice.
Police confirmed that the missing person they were investigating was among the three people who were killed. It's believed that the three men were killed on Feb. 17.
Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report below:
Hamlin was a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Persian Gulf War, according to family. He was the owner of the home.
"Norman was a very good person. He really was," said Joel Bond, who was friends with Hamlin.
Bond says he grew up with Hamlin and the two played in a band together around Detroit. Bond checks on his brother with special needs across the street from Hamlin's home.
"My concern has elevated over the last few months, seeing all of the activity that was happening over there," Bond said.
Fitzgerald said the man who owned the home was known to open his home up to a lot of people.
"Unfortunately, there has been some speculation, which I don't like to get into too much, that drugs were being used at the location," Fitzgerald said.
Watch below: Coverage from the day the bodies were found
Multiple residents also said there had been questionable activity at the home.
“That was happening and myself and other neighbors had the understanding that this could not stand. This won't last. Something bad is gonna happen, and apparently it did. When it did happen, it was not a shocker but at the same time, it was definitely a surprise," Bond said.
“The memories are very deep. Rest his soul."
Hamlin’s brother expressed confidence in Detroit police before a suspect was taken into custody and said "oh, they're gonna get him."
"My ultimate concern is that the community heals," Bond said. "It's just a tragedy as to what happened — it really is."
Investigators remained at the scene for several hours.
"We are combing that entire area," Fitzgerald said. "We were out there all night looking for any kind of evidence we could find, video assets, any kind of technology we could discover to help move this case along."
Anyone with information is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
